I've missed hockey and missed this wonderful forum. I became so tired of the lockout rhetoric that I had to stop talking NHL in real life and online until it was settled. Now that it's back I'm hungrier than ever for another Stanley Cup! These new forums still suck, but whatever. Some thoughts I've had through 5 or so games of the season:

-Dougie Hamilton is amazing. His poise is outstanding for 19 year old and his skills outstanding. I have been beyond impressed with him. The most talented new scoring defenseman (for the Bruins) I've seen in a very long time. He fills the void left by Kaberle, and then some. Perhaps drafting a D in the first round isn't such a bad idea?

-Rick Nash has 1G+4A = 5pts. Playing on a very good line, getting 22 minutes per game.

-David Krejci has 1G+4A = 5pts. Playing with Horton and Lucic, getting 19 minutes per game.

-Anisimov and Dubinsky have combined for 2G+2A = 4pts.

-Bruins look better than last year.

-Columbus looks a little better than last year.

-The Rangers look worse. More offensive talent, but the same commitment to D is not there, with GAA up over 3.

-Adam Oates tried to move Ovechkin to RW like he did with Kovalchuck, again with terrible results. Why does he keep trying to do this? He played with Kvarltonov, he should know that off-wing shooting Russians never have success on their traditional wings

The Bruins have been really fun to watch so far, I hope all of you are enjoying the games!

I'll pop in just to say hi and welcome back OC but I'm not touching the rest of your musings. I've already had my fill of battling fellow posters in regards to whether NYR acquiring Nash was a good thing or not. I'm willing to wait until the year is out and am also willing to accept any and all "I told you so's" if I turn out to be wrong. Cheers! Go Bruins!

Nash is a beast and he will have success in NY, however the style of play demanded by Tortarella is difficult to ask of players year in and year out, i have doubts the Rags can repeat their performance of last year, Krecji and Hamilton both look sharp so far.

I'll pop in just to say hi and welcome back OC but I'm not touching the rest of your musings. I've already had my fill of battling fellow posters in regards to whether NYR acquiring Nash was a good thing or not. I'm willing to wait until the year is out and am also willing to accept any and all "I told you so's" if I turn out to be wrong. Cheers! Go Bruins!

I'm with you on the Nash thing. Not much of a trainging camp to work his linemates, but his numbers will be there in the end. Awesome player. Look at the two who are thriving right away. Thornton and Marleau.

I'll pop in just to say hi and welcome back OC but I'm not touching the rest of your musings. I've already had my fill of battling fellow posters in regards to whether NYR acquiring Nash was a good thing or not. I'm willing to wait until the year is out and am also willing to accept any and all "I told you so's" if I turn out to be wrong. Cheers! Go Bruins!

I'm with you on the Nash thing. Not much of a trainging camp to work his linemates, but his numbers will be there in the end. Awesome player. Look at the two who are thriving right away. Thornton and Marleau.

Sorry Kel but I doubt it. I expect Nash to finish with essentially the same numbers that he always gets and that the BJ's are a better team overall without him.

The Blueshirts are missing the depth of Dubinsky and Amisinov plus Kreider is having some sophmore blues a bit. NY having trouble on offense with the top line loaded up. Now if Slats makes a run at Iginla then he has to give up more depth and his great youth. Can't put all of your gusto on the top line, it won't work in the playoffs.

Can't it just be that someone believes a player is good or not, or worth it or not, or whatever? Just an opinion would do fine, and would be all that is needed to make a point.

Do there have to be stats that are contrived and meaningless to provide some sort of veiled attempt to validate an opinion?

Seguin has one empty net goal...what does that mean? That Thronton and Campbell are better players because they play less minutes, earn less and play on the 4th line ? Should the Bruins trade Bergeron and Lucic for Gaborik because it says so on paper? C'mon now.

Can't it just be that someone believes a player is good or not, or worth it or not, or whatever? Just an opinion would do fine, and would be all that is needed to make a point.

Do there have to be stats that are contrived and meaningless to provide some sort of veiled attempt to validate an opinion?

Seguin has one empty net goal...what does that mean? That Thronton and Campbell are better players because they play less minutes, earn less and play on the 4th line ? Should the Bruins trade Bergeron and Lucic for Gaborik because it says so on paper? C'mon now.

Opinions should be good enough... jeez

Why bother keeping score at all if stats don't matter? What's wrong with trying to validate an opinion with factual data?

Can't it just be that someone believes a player is good or not, or worth it or not, or whatever? Just an opinion would do fine, and would be all that is needed to make a point.

Do there have to be stats that are contrived and meaningless to provide some sort of veiled attempt to validate an opinion?

Seguin has one empty net goal...what does that mean? That Thronton and Campbell are better players because they play less minutes, earn less and play on the 4th line ? Should the Bruins trade Bergeron and Lucic for Gaborik because it says so on paper? C'mon now.

Opinions should be good enough... jeez

Why bother keeping score at all if stats don't matter? What's wrong with trying to validate an opinion with factual data?

The Blueshirts are missing the depth of Dubinsky and Amisinov plus Kreider is having some sophmore blues a bit. NY having trouble on offense with the top line loaded up. Now if Slats makes a run at Iginla then he has to give up more depth and his great youth. Can't put all of your gusto on the top line, it won't work in the playoffs.

Kreider is on IR.

They've only played five games and had a next to nothing training camp. It's way too early to evaluate any quality team. (It's easy to see that Columbus, Florida, Toronto and the Islanders stink.)

The Blueshirts are missing the depth of Dubinsky and Amisinov plus Kreider is having some sophmore blues a bit. NY having trouble on offense with the top line loaded up. Now if Slats makes a run at Iginla then he has to give up more depth and his great youth. Can't put all of your gusto on the top line, it won't work in the playoffs.

Kreider is on IR.

They've only played five games and had a next to nothing training camp. It's way too early to evaluate any quality team. (It's easy to see that Columbus, Florida, Toronto and the Islanders stink.)

Before Kreider went on IR he was playing poorly and I am a fan. I still have the Rags making the playoffs. Every team didn't have a camp but we all know in this sprint even short comressed losing streaks can hurt.

Explain your thought on a team that front loads all their talent on the top line and how that works in the post-season ?

Can't it just be that someone believes a player is good or not, or worth it or not, or whatever? Just an opinion would do fine, and would be all that is needed to make a point.

Do there have to be stats that are contrived and meaningless to provide some sort of veiled attempt to validate an opinion?

Seguin has one empty net goal...what does that mean? That Thronton and Campbell are better players because they play less minutes, earn less and play on the 4th line ? Should the Bruins trade Bergeron and Lucic for Gaborik because it says so on paper? C'mon now.

Opinions should be good enough... jeez

I have never understood this either since coming to this forum. Stats are the be all to end all for discussions with some.

When a person goes to a hockey game do they need to validate who they think is the better player is by bringing the internet along with them to look up point totals ?

You'd think that the other 59 minutes of a hockey game would also be significant to judging a player and how he plays. Sometimes the best players in a game get no points at all.

I have never understood this either since coming to this forum. Stats are the be all to end all for discussions with some.

When a person goes to a hockey game do they need to validate who they think is the better player is by bringing the internet along with them to look up point totals ?

You'd think that the other 59 minutes of a hockey game would also be significant to judging a player and how he plays. Sometimes the best players in a game get no points at all.

Many people don't even see the players that they are commenting on outside of a youtube video here and there, so they have to rely on stats.

Look how many opinions we get on the Providence Bruins from people who have never been to a Providence Bruins' game. Look how many people try to tell you about OHL players when they've never even been to Canada!

Explain your thought on a team that front loads all their talent on the top line and how that works in the post-season ?

Callahan, Stepan and Hagelin isn't all that bad of a second line.

Post-season?!? Don't talk about the Post-season! Post-season?!? (in your best Jimmy Mora voice!) Who knows what the team will look like in a few months.

Since we are talking about now how they are constituted now then not bad is Ok. It will be tough to make "OK" better when Slats starts looking at assests he'd like to bring to take the burden of the top line and these players have two or three year deals (capgeek not looking so hot the next few years with the amount of players that need to be re-signed). Right now a very high % of New Yorks goals are from one line.

OatesCam, good to have you back. Those dark days of the CBA nogo tiations had NAS and I talking about Cracker! Yikes. Anyway the Strangers lost people up the middle with the trade for Nash. Blocking shots will still be their mainstay untiil a second and third line can mesh in the coming months. Now that is unpredictable.

I reserve my judgement on Hamilton. Teenagers are fragile unless their name is Bergeron!

Cheers!

In response to SanDogBrewin's comment:

If you don't watch players live in person you have no opinion on here!